December 11, 2003


Patrons say goodbye to Almaden Library as it closes for renovation

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

A public library is more than a mere building—it is a place to let your imagination soar, find adventure, hear a story, solve a mystery, explore history. The 30-year-old Almaden branch of the San Jose Public Library is no exception to this, and is for many, the heart of the community. The Almaden Library is a place where playgroups meet, children gather for storytime or to do homework, and patrons enjoy multi-cultural events and of course, take out books, magazines, videos, CDs, and DVDs. Most of all, it is a cozy gathering place that has become a second home to Almaden residents.

On Saturday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m., the last patron will leave as the Almaden Library closes its doors for approximately two years of reconstruction. “We will not be having a closing ceremony primarily because we don’t feel like we’re closing,” says Almaden Branch Manager Suzanne Rostamizadeh. “We are changing where we are, but we’re going to be celebrating our new venue, so it’s more like a ‘see you later’ than a ‘goodbye.’”
The current library as well as the neighboring community center will be demolished. Around April of 2006, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a new combined building will be open to the public. The community center will close for renovation in March.

“After we close our doors on Saturday, starting with Monday, we start the packing-up process,” Rostamizadeh explains. “Although we’re very fortunate that we have a moving company that’s actually going to move all of the books for us, each one of the shelves that we have in the collection will have to get a specific number and be labeled. Then they will take the books off that particular shelf, load it onto a wooden gondola, fill that gondola entirely, shrink-wrap it, and put it on their truck. When it gets to the other end, they reverse that process. Anything else, like the offices, we have to box. We’re going to be really busy getting everything boxed up and ready to go.”

Saying goodbye

Besides the checkout counter, a memory book awaits patron’s thoughts and feelings about the library and its closing. One patron commented that Almaden Library was a wonderful resource for everything from entertaining to child-rearing, and that it opened so many doors for her son, who loved coming here. “We’ve received letters from people letting us know how much they’ve appreciated us,” Rostamizadeh says. “One patron told us that ‘The library wasn’t just the books and mortar—and she was definitely going to miss coming here—but it was the staff that made it the library that it was,’ and that really touched my heart...that we’ve made a difference in people’s lives. I’d like to think that this staff has delivered services in such a way that we were worth traveling to.”

Librarian Ed Koetitz was moved when a strapping 19-year-old expressed his sadness at the Almaden Library’s closing. “He talked about Pooh and he became all misty eyed,” Ed relates. “He remembered coming in when he was 3-years-old, and now that we’re closing, it’s emotional for him.” The oversized Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal denotes the children’s section of the library and will be making the move over to the Vineland branch. Pooh Bear arrived from Chicago 16 years ago as a 3rd birthday gift from Jennifer Feretich’s grandparents. He moved to the library when a baby sister was born and room was needed for the crib. He traveled down Almaden Expressway with his head out the top of a T-top Trans-Am, turning heads all the way. He’s been a part of Almaden Library ever since.

Nancy Behrman has been an Almaden Library patron for 14 years. “I’m going to really miss the library,” she acknowledges. “I hope when it opens it will be like home again.” Behrman comes weekly to pick up books and appreciates the staff. “They’ve been really helpful and are right there for you. You can ask them any question,” she says. “The library is family-friendly and always packed with people. I think it’s what a library should be.”
For library patron Claudia Munce, the two years the library will be closed for renovation seems like a long time. “It’s really going to be very inconvenient,” she notes. “I have two kids and come here all the time. (Having to visit another branch) will reduce our frequency of coming to the library. This building is really wonderful with the park next door. We make an outing out of it. It is close to our house, the grocery store, etc. The Vineland branch doesn’t feel like a community place to go.”

Some patrons have commented that they won’t be able to walk or bike to the library any longer. Almaden resident Connie Larrew has been a regular patron of the library for years. “It’s within bicycle distance of my house. I’ll have to go in the car to go to the new one,” she reflects, adding that she has appreciated the library’s helpful staff in learning to use their computer system and considers the library the best bargain in the world. “When I read about a book in the newspaper I come and reserve it. I figure I’ve saved a lot of money!”

Rostamizadeh notes that the new facility is (only) seven minutes away in rush-hour traffic. “It isn’t that far and we hope it will be such a wonderful facility that patrons will be happy to come and utilize it.”

Youth Services and Young Adult Librarian Kristine Ohman admits that the move is an emotional one for everyone involved. “People who live here love the library. There are those who walk here...but it’s an old building and needs so much work to be modernized. You’re not losing a library on this site. The new one will be even better.” Ohman hopes that library patrons will follow them over to the Vineland branch. “We’re not leaving you—we’re just moving for a little while and we’ll be back again,” she adds.
New Vineland branch will be nearest library
The Vineland branch opens on Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. with a grand opening ceremony. For the month in between, patrons are welcome to use the Cambrian branch, Pearl Avenue branch, or Santa Teresa branch to pick up their “holds” or drop off materials that are due. The book drop at the Almaden branch will remain open a few days after closing. “If they have a hold still outstanding, they need to change their pickup location to another library branch,” Rostamizadeh notes.

The staff and the collection will all move over to the new Vineland Branch Library. “I’ve been telling our customers, all they’re getting is a change of location. They’ll see the same faces, many of the same books. We do have an additional $50,000 in this year’s budget to purchase new materials for Vineland and that will be a welcome addition,” Rostamizadeh says.

Jenny Fales will be eagerly awaiting the opening of the Vineland Branch, but would prefer if it opened simultaneously with the Almaden Branch’s closing. “I’m just upset about the lag time—but it’s only a month, so that’s not too bad,” she says. Library Assistant Debbie Shepard notes that the biggest cause for the one-month delay is that they need time to move the books and staff into the new building and have it ready to go, and since the move takes place over the holidays, it’s especially hard to schedule utilities.

Ed Koetitz, who has planned the placement of the Almaden Library’s collection at the “L-shaped” Vineland branch, looks forward to having a separate wing for children and adults. “It will be more tranquil,” he notes. “The Almaden Library was not designed for the number of patrons we have. When school lets out it reverberates. The adults sometimes feel like there’s nowhere to run.” Koetitz also feels that since they had to move out tables and chair sets to accommodate additional shelving, Almaden has become more of a walk-through library.

The Vineland branch will be two times the size of the current Almaden library. “There are a lot of the wonderful things that we are hoping to provide in all of our new libraries. Vineland will be the first bond project to actually come to fruition, so people will get a taste of what they’re going to have throughout the entire library system,” says Rostamizadeh.

Rostamizadeh is looking forward to the Vineland Branch’s large community room. “It will be a lovely venue for multi-cultural programming, as well as being able to do a larger storytime,” she says. “In the past, especially with the Summer Reading Club, we’ve had to take over the community center’s all-purpose room because ours was way too small for that. This will be larger with a lot more space for a lot more activities.” Upcoming events include the Silicon Valley Reads Program, and a Chinese New Year celebration.

Rostamizadeh appreciates that the Vineland branch will be one of the four libraries open on Sundays due to a new pilot program started by the City of San Jose and the Library Department. “People will be able to come over and visit us seven days a week,” she notes. The Berryessa, Evergreen, and West Valley branches will also feature Sunday hours from Jan. 4, 2004 to June 2004. “Sunday service at our libraries will help more of our residents and families take advantage of our community’s excellent resources for learning and recreation” said San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales. “Libraries are essential to the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and I’m pleased we have found a creative solution to make them more accessible to more people.”

“We think of our libraries as the community’s living room,” adds Library Director Jane Light. “Sunday has traditionally been the one day of the week that families could spend together if they chose. We hope that many families who have otherwise found it difficult to get to the library will take advantage of this opportunity to find out what we have to offer.”

According to Vice Mayor Pat Dando, the Vineland Branch Library is on schedule, on budget and will soon be ready to accommodate patrons. “How fortunate we are when voters can see the merits of a public library and they overwhelmingly passed Bond Measure O, which will build and reconstruct the library,” she notes. The Branch Library Bond Measure approved in November 2000, provides $213 million over 10 years for six new and 14 expanded branch libraries. “The good news is that all of it has to be built in a 10-year window. In District 10, we’re fortunate to have the first library to be constructed under Bond Measure O.” As for Almaden, $26.6 million has been budgeted for the joint library and community center. Of that, $8.6 million will be spent on the library, and $18 million on the community center.

Between Dec. 15, 2003 and Jan. 17, 2004, use one of the following branches:
Cambrian Branch, 1780 Hillsdale Avenue (408) 269-5062.
Pearl Avenue Branch, 4270 Pearl Avenue (408) 265-7833.
Santa Teresa Branch, 290 International Circle (408) 281-1878.
The new Vineland Branch Library will have its grand opening Jan. 17, 2004, 11 a.m. It is located at 1450 Blossom Hill Road (between Meridian and Camden). Hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

To find out more about library programs and services, log onto www.sjlibrary.org or call (408) 808-2000.